Auburn's Sammy Swift dealt another court setback

Auburn, NY -- Auburn’s Sammy L. Swift is running out of courts to appeal his 1995 murder and robbery convictions.

Today, a state Appellate Court in Rochester denied Swift’s request to review its October decision in which it reinstated the convictions, Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina said.

Valdina said appellate courts rarely agree to reconsider their rulings so he was not surprised by the court’s decision.

Now Swift is waiting to hear whether the court of appeals, the state’s highest court, will review his case.

Swift is serving 20 years to life for the April 1994 beating death of Stephen DeLuca, of Auburn. In 2008, Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone vacated Swift’s convictions after new DNA evidence cast doubt for Leone on Swift’s guilt.

In October, however, the Rochester appellate court reinstated the convictions saying there was ample corroborating evidence to convict Swift.